Deputies find body of woman inside burned house

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 13, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL

After getting calls from worried family members, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office went to check on a 42-year-old Wesley Chapel woman who had not been heard from for days.

When they arrived at 9 a.m. Saturday, the windows of the 6943 Clinton Way home were blackened and covered with silt.

They forced their way into the house and found a woman dead. Part of the interior of the home seemed to have been burnt.

Several agencies are working on the scene, including county and state fire investigators and county detectives from forensics and major crimes.

The identity of the woman will have to be confirmed by the medical examiner. No cause of death has yet been established.

ZEPHYRHILLS

Trick to get child to obey leads to arrest

A man and a child were arguing about the kid missing school, so the man, 42-year-old Richard Robb, went to his car, got his semiautomatic gun, came back inside and used it to scare the child into obeying him on Thursday, according to a report from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. The report did not release information on the child because of the child's age.

There also might have been more than one child involved.

To scare the child more, Robb pretended to call the police, saying he was armed and was planning a shootout, according to the report.

Robb also got a shotgun and put it at the front door.

It is not known who called the Sheriff's Office, but deputies arrived and arrested Robb, who is a felon and listed his occupation as an auto mechanic at Bond Auto Sales in Tampa.

Deputies also found marijuana in the house at 39530 Ninth Ave. in Zephyrhills. Robb was charged with several counts of child abuse, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and drug charges.

He is being held at the Land O'Lakes jail on $14,650 bail.

[Last modified January 12, 2008, 20:24:14]